ABSTRACT
Public
relations have shown tremendous
growth in recent years worldwide and it growth
is attributed to numerous reasons
particularly in crisis management/prevention in many organizations either
public or private at all levels. Organized public relations are capable of yielding a lot of benefits to
local government administrators
in Nigeria. This will enable them to successfully mobilize the rural dwellers
and achieve mass education
of the people at the grass roots. Generally,
this
study will benefit many
public administrators at all levels of discharging their
duties, by giving insight toward effective and efficient which public relations
as a tool of enhancement good govornance, toward negotiate with the publics to resolve and prevent crises, and
to promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and the publics. The survey research method would be
adopted. The questionnaire was
used as instrument of data collection. The
population of this study is the entire employees of Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA, Lagos State which are 500
employees. Probability sampling method which is also known as ‘random sampling’
was adopted for this researh work. Both primary data and secondary data were
used. The
statistical techniques used in this research work, to analysis data are Percentage method with chi-square statistical techniques
used to test hypothesis concerning the test of goodness of fit, between a sample of observed
frequencies and a corresponding sample of expected frequencies. From the analysis of the research data it
can be seen that public relations play a huge part in the life of any
establishment, be it government or private. From the
finding, the researcher observed that there are some factors hampering the
effective use of public relations practice for grassroot development.
It is therefore strongly recommended that local governance should be geared towards a more effective utilization of public
relations measures.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title
Page i
Certification
ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement
iv
Abstract v
Table
of Contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE
Introduction
1.1
Background
to the study 1
1.2
Statement
of the problems 2
1.3
The
main Objectives of the study 3
1.4
Research
questions
3
1.5
Hypotheses 4
1.6
Significance
of the study 4
1.7
Scope
and limitation of the study 6
1.8
Operational terms 7
CHAPTER
TWO
Literature
Review 9
2.1 Historical
development of public relations in Nigerian 9
2.2 Public
relations in Public and Private Sectors 11
2.3 Meaning of
Public relations 13
2.4 Roles of
Public Relations 16
2.5 Relationship
between public relations and public administration 18
2.5.1 Role of
Public Relations in Crisis management 21
2.6 Meaning of
Crisis 24
2.6.1 Crisis
Management 26
2.7 Theoritical
framework 28
2.8 Brief
History of Agbado oko-odo LCDA 31
2.9 Factors
restrict the effective practice of PR as tool for Crisis Magt at grassroot 35.
CHAPTER
THREE
Research
Methods 38
3.1 Preamble 38
3.2
Research Design 38
3.3 Study
Population 39
3.4 Sample
size and sampling technique 39
3.5 Research
instrument 42
3.6 Sources
and collection of data 43
3.7 Statistical
method of analysis 44
CHAPTER
FOUR
Data
Analysis And Presentation 46
4.1 Preamble 46
4.2 Presentation
and analysis of respondent’s data
47
4.3 Presentation
and analysis of relevant research data 50
4.4 Test of hypotheseses
57
4.4.1 Test of hypothesis one 57
4.3.2 Test of hypothesis Two 59
4.4 Discussion
of research findings 61
CHAPTER
FIVE
Summary,
Conclusion and Recommendations 63
5.1 Summary of research findings 63
5.2 Conclusion
64
5.3 Recommendations 65
References
67
Appendix 72
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Public relations
have shown tremendous growth
in recent years worldwide and it growth
is attributed to numerous reasons
particularly in crisis management/prevention in many organizations either
public or private at any level. Let us assumed, crises are large or small unexpected serious negative developments. They are likely to create instant lawlessness, regardless of how well
your organization
is managed under normal business
conditions. Public relations in Nigeria have come a long way,
especially in the post-independence
era, where there has been
significant development in government public relations activities. Public relations exist in every activity, which
involves human beings, even where it is an individual activity. Thus, in addition to reinforcing the universality of public relations, Nwosu (cited in Asemah et al 2012)
went on to spell out its usefulness
to governments in contemporary societies, which are democratic and need the
consent, support and
mutual understanding of their people, for better administration. It is in the
light of that relationship that public
relations practitioners in government see themselves as the linking bridge
between government and civil society.
Since 1976, when
local government reforms were carried out in Nigeria, the local governments
have always had to contend
with greater responsibility placed on their shoulders than ever before. Among
other things, the guidelines of
the reforms demanded the performance of numerous functions from the local government. In
fact, public relations ought to be compulsory
for the local government administration in Nigeria. Also Public relation could be applied to any level of government for
effective and efficient governance. Perhaps, the local government should make public
relations principles and procedures, their major components of governance, especially at the grass root
level, where the actions of government touch the lives of the citizens most deeply. Organized public relations are capable of yielding a lot of benefits to
local government administrators
in Nigeria. This will enable them to successfully mobilize the rural dwellers
and achieve mass education
of the people at the grass roots. Thus
the
local government can greatly benefit from public relations
activities cannot be over-emphasized.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Every organization
whether government or non-governmental organization, the concept of public relations remain
largely misconceived by many people involved in its practice. Some believe that public relations are
publicity given to political aspirants, business executives, etc.; others think that public relations is a series of
gifts for journalist, prospective supporters, etc., Some think that it is a means of gaining coverage. The result of
this array of misconception is a lopsided perception of what actually connotes public relations. In the
government circles, due to these misconceptions, public relations officers are often treated as errand
people also inferior work force
that must top the list of those to be terminated from service whenever the need arises.
Local governments
are said to employ public relations effort through their information offices. (Field work, July 2019.) However, how far these public relations activities
are performed by these offices remain speculative, abstract and uncertain in planned and sustained effort
to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its
publics. The present dispensation
in the local government settings by observation shows that personal assistants
to local government chairmen takeover the functions of public relations
unit of such local government areas. The present
local government structure in Nigeria really shows that the information
officers are vested with discharging
the functions of public relations. But the question of how adequately organized and how well these information officers are placed to
perform their tasks for enhanced governance toward negotiating with the
publics to resolve, manage,
prevent
crises and to promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization
and the publics is the problem, this study
investigates. Asemah and Asogwa
(2012).
1.3 Aim and
Objectives of
the Study
This study aim at
examining the role of public
relations in crisis management at the local government.
Other objectives are to:
i.
Identify
the effectiveness of labour relation on crisis management at the local
government levels
ii.
Determine
the extent to which public relations affecting crisis management at local
government levels.
iii.
Assess
factors militating against public relations and crisis management at the local
government levels.
1.4 Reseach Questions
Based on the
problems
and the objectives of the study, the study seeks to answer the following
questions:
a.
Is there any significant relationship
between labour relation and
crisis management in Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Oja Oba Lagos State?
b.
To what extent do public relations affect crisis management at local
government levels?
1.5 Statement
of Hypotheses
Kerlinger (1973)
pointed out, a problem is just a question usually of a broad nature and it is
not directly testable. What is testable is the hypothesis implied by the
question. Hypothesis to be test for the purpose of this research work are
following :
1. H0:: There is no significant relationship
between labour relation and
crisis management in Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Oja Oba Lagos State.
H1: There is significant relationship
between labour relation and
crisis management in Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Oja Oba Lagos State.
2. H0:: Public relations is not significantly related to crisis management/prevention in
organization.
H1: Public relations
is significantly related to crisis management/prevention in
organization.
1.6 Significance of the
Study
Generally, this
study will benefit many
public administrators at all levels of discharging their
duties, by giving insight toward effective and efficient which public relations
as a tool of enhancement good govornance, toward negotiate with the publics to resolve and prevent crises, and
to promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and the publics.
Particularly, this work will giving insight toward some
public relations strategies that can be used for resolving and preventing
crisis at grassroot such as:
·
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY: Corporate social responsibility emphasises
the need for every organisation, including government, to be sensitive to the needs and interests of
the members of the society or community in which they exist and operate, as a way of eliciting and keeping
their goodwill and support. It is social investment or involvement philosophy that helps any social
institution or organisation (plus government), to avoid taking decisions or actions that may make it to be seen by its
target publics as uncaring or insensitive to their needs and interest. Nwosu 1996 (cited in asemah et al 2012) says
that corporate social responsibility is the intelligent and objective concern
for the welfare of people and society, which
restraints individuals and corporate entities (government) from engaging in policies and activities, no
matter how profitable or attractive that will portray them as callus and engaging in activities that will
contribute to the betterment of men and society. According to the UN Committee for Economic Development (CED),
cited in Asemah (2010), a good corporate social responsibility
programme usually focuses on some or all of these areas: Economic growth and
efficiency, education,
employment and training, human rights and equal opportunity, rural/urban
renewal and development,
pollution abatement, conservation and recreation, culture and arts, medical
care and other government
activities.
·
POLICY MAKING
AND POLICY COMMUNICATION: A PR Practitioner is a link between his institution and the publics.
He or she
is responsible for setting public relations
policy to represent the corporation or agency to the publics
and for conducting research to provide adequate
feedback from the publics to the institution. Usually, a PR practitioner works
closely with top level management and is instrumental in
influencing management’s policy changes. The PR person can be described as a strategist who plans and executes large scale public relations
efforts. It is the duty of the public
relations practitioners of an organisation to communicate the policies of its
organisation to the internal and
external publics, so as to make them know such policies.
·
RESPONSIVE CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION: Communication
is an ongoing and never ending thing. It may
beginning by you or before you
but nor
ending. It is a process that goes
on endlessly, none stop. That is why when there is any break in communication,
rumours, guessing and presumptions
fill up the gap. This kind of situation creates a lapse, which results in
misunderstanding, because
communication has broken down. Local government administrators must never allow communication to breakdown. They must flow
along with crucial stakeholders, such as community people, if administration must
prosper unhindered.
A responsive communication is one that is quick, sound and credible and flow two-way in a cyclical
manner (Zorte, 2011).
·
RESEARCH: Research
is very important in public relations. It is an activity that is aimed at
obtaining facts about the feelings
of the publics of an organisation. The data obtained from research is used as a
yardstick for taking decision.
Environmental scanning maybe described as the process of monitoring immediate
and larger environment of an
organization with a view to detecting issues or developments that affect an organization’s operations so as to effectively address
them. It
could be developments within the organisation or outside the organisation in the host community, the
local government area, state or national level or the international level. Trend analysis involves critically
examining issues and developments in the society to find out their implications to an organisation in order
to advise management what steps to take.
Finally, it will serves as a starting point for other
researchers who will be interested in the subject of this research, it will
also be beneficial to communities and public relations experts as more
knowledge has been gained from the research.
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the
Study
The
scope of this research work, expected to be all local government in Lagos State, Nigeria. However, due to the constraint
of time within which this project must be submitted, a
sample of Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Oja Oba,
Lagos State only shall be used for the research work. Furthermore, the research work
has limited time within which to carry out this task among other academic
assignment. It has therefore become unrealistic to sample all
organizations maybe concerned.
Financial
constraints have also forced the researcher to limit the scope of this research
work to Alimonsho Agbado Oke Odo LCDA Oja Oba,
Lagos State. Also indifference attitude of respondents. Some of the respondents exhibited some form of lackadaisical
attitude in completing the questionnaires. However, the researcher believe that
this on long run, will open a wider area for other researcher to do a thorough work
on other levels of government such as state and
federal government ministries, department and agencies.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Role: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary International
Student’s New 8th Edition (2015) The function or position that something has or
is expected to have in an organization, in soceiety or in a relationship. Duty,
function, value and benefit.
Public Relations: According to Asmah and Asogwa (2012) Public relations in government in
brief, is the coordinated efforts of the government officials
to establish appropriate and effective communication system that enables them to produce, project and sustain
government’s goals, aspirations, programmes, activities and policies to reach the ultimate beneficiaries of the
programmes, in most cases, the community.
Publics: Nwosu ( Cited by Asmah
& Asogwa 2012) says that: Whether military or civilian, government
must have the support and acceptance of
the citizenry to be effective and to even survive for a reasonable period. In theory and in practice, every government
derives its legitimacy or rights to govern
from the people or
citizens. In a true democracy, government is voted in by the people to hold power, influence and
control on behalf of the collectivity, the
masses or citizenry. Publics according to Creative Commons (2012) any group(s) of people held together by a
common interest.
Crisis: crisis may be defined as any situation that is threatening or could
threaten to harm people or property, seriously interrupt business, damage reputation
or negatively impact share value. (Bernstein L. Jonathan, 2010) A ″crisis″ is when something bad,
unwanted, or terrible happens. (Crisis Management, 2009). Publicly Available Specification (PAS)2011
Crisis management. Guidance and good practice,
recently published by the British Standards
Institution, is a practical guide to establishing
good practice on crisis management.
Defines a crisis as an “inherently abnormal, unstable and complex situation
that represents a threat to the strategic objectives, reputation or existence of an organization.
Crisis Management: It is managing the flow of information
between the organisation and the publics, via the mass media and by advising management on what
to do and how to do it, so that the crisis is not aggravated. (Asemah, 2011).
Local Government: The Nigeria local
government reform document of 1976 ( Iyabo Olojede & Salami Afegbua 2011)
defines local government as: Government at
local level exercised by representative council, establishment by law to
exercise specific power within define areas.
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